Telephone system and apparatus



` (No Model.)

BQAECKERT;

A TELEPHONE `SYSTEM AND APPARATUS. No. 249,164. 'Patented 1\I0v.8,1881.V

WJ 779255151551- a" ww INI/ENO/e i A 1 ATTORNEY N UNITED STATES PATENT OFFCEQ EDWARD A. ncknar, or GINOINNATLoI-ro.

TELEPHONE SYSTi-:ivl AND APPARATUS."

l SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,164, dated November 8, 1881.

l Applicationllcd June 25, 1881. (No model.) i

.To all whom it may concern Be it known that LEDWARD A. EcKnRT, of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have in- `vented certain new andnseful lImprovements in Telephone-Exchan ge Systems and Apparatus`,of which the iollowingis a specification.

The entire operating system of a telephoneexchange, no matter how scattered the branch exchanges may be, should be under the effective supervision of a chief operator. rIhe operating system in each'branch exchange should be under the effective supervision of sub-chiefs who have charge ofthe branch operatingrooins. The chiefoperator may manage one of the local rooms himself and transact all his business as chief from his station as'sub-chiet' as well as chief. A sub-chief should be able to hear at any timehe wishes all that his 0perutors are saying Without interrupting them in their work and without their knowledge, andthe chief operator should be able to transmit his ordersto his sub-chiefs without theintervention of the operators. These things are suggested because experience shows that thereby the operatorsare kept under constant surveillance and control, and orders regarding them transmitted by their superiors without their knowledge.

My invention relates `to telephonie circuits arranged with an exchange for the use ofthe operator in charge of the exchange', and toicircuits arranged in thegeneral system among the branches for the use of the chief operator,

who has charge of all the operating business.-

Figure 1 is a plan of an exchange showing circuits, &c. We assume this to be the main exchange, or the one in which the chief operator is placed. `Branch exchanges would be very much similar. Fig. 2 is a plan of an exchange system having four exchanges which are supposed to be connected by trunk-lines,

. as usual. 'Fig 3 is an end View of a chiefsor sub-chiefs desk, and Fi g.- 4 a front view of the same. y

Fig. 1 represents an exchange. ll represents groups of line-Wires coming from subscribers stations; 2, the tableof the operators having charge of the groups of lines. rIhere are three of these operators7 tables shown, lettered A, B,

`and G. At the C table I show the general arrangementwof circuit-s, the other tables being similar. 8 is the deskof the operatorin charge of the room and ofthe entire operating system, including any outlying branch exchanges.

' In Fig. 2, 28 2S 28 are outlying branch exchanges, named in the drawings Brightom77 Fulton,an d Lyn n. 32 is the main exchange,

at which is located the chief operator, each of `the branches beingfin charge of a sub-chief. `The exchanges may be connected with trunklines, as usual, for the transaction of the regular business of connecting subscribers.

In Fig. 1, upon table G, the ordinary tablecircuits are shown. Ihe operator at this and all other tables is provided with a generator, 4, or device for supplying signaling-currents;

a telephone, 3, for conversation; a wedge or signaling or conversing apparatus.

plug, 5, or equivalent device, for connecting with any of the lilies; anda switch, 6, for throwing to the working-circuits eitherthe The genera-l arrangement of these table-circuits may `be varied considerably and made to conform `cuit or the telephone-circuit.

to any of the prevailingsystems of operating. At the chiefs desk, 8, is placed a generator, 10, a telephone, 9, a series or' anuunciators, 19,

and a-series of s\vitches,'20, 4by which the annunciator-lines may be put to the generatoror the telephone. At each operating-table is placed an annunciator,13, having a switch, 14,

by which it may be put to the generator-cir- The annunciators 13 of the tables are connected to the annunciators 19 onthechiefs `desk by the lines 12. In this manner the chief has anannunci `ator for each table, a line ruiming to the table, and each table has a chief annunciator. We will follow the circuitof one of theselines in detail. From the table ground 7 to the ta- `ble-switch 14, thence through annunciator 13 IOO Wire 26, and sends signal-current iin answer.d

Both now turn switches the opposite way and converse, the table-telephone being connected through wire 27, and the chiefs desk-telephone through wire 24. The method of includin g a battery-transmitter in the telephonecircuits is obvious.

At the tables isa socket, 15, or'equiv'alent connection-receiver, by which the operator may cord the line 12 to any of his outgoing lines the same as he would connect any two outgoing lines, and at the chiefs desk similar 'connection-receivers, 22, are arranged, so that the chief may connect any two of his desk lines. The chiefs desk-lines are not confined -to connections with his tables. Lines 21 run outside his office and connect him with subordinates generally.

In Fig. 2, 32 is the main city exchange, and 31 the location therein of the chief'. His desklines 12 run to the tables 2, under his imme'- diate charge. The lines 21 run to the desks of the sub-chiefs in charge of the branch exchanges 28. The lines 29 run to sundry subordinates, such as inspectors, repairers, storekeeper, battery man, time-keeper, roofman, &c., and to general managcrs ofce. These termipals are represented asin rooms. (Marked 30.) At the branches in Fig. 2 the sub-chiefs have desk-lines 12 to their tables and lines 21 to their chief, and they may have such other lines as they need. It will be seen that the chief and sub-.chiefs can communicate with their suhordinates by simple operations of a switch. As terininal devices for these desk-lines I in practice make use of the drop invented by J.

W. See, and described by him in Letters Patent No. 235,056, dated Novem ber 30, 1880, to which drop, however', I do not wish to confine myself in future operations with my invention.

I now come to another feature of the invention, by whicha chief or sub-chief may overhear any operator in his work by simply pressing a switch.

In Fig. 1, 18 is a strip upon the chefs desk, grounded through the chiefs telephone, as shown. Over this strip are switch-buttons 17, which form terminals for lines 16 going to the operators tables. These lines are private to the chief, and the operator can make no use of them. Being open atthe chiefs desk,

their use must originate with the chief. lThe lines 16 going to the tables connect with the table telephone line 27, as shown. lf an operator be' talking with a subscriber or another operator, the chief may, by pressing the proper button, bring his telephone into the privatebranch circuit and overhear the. parties Without their knowledge.

Instead of the buttons 17, other forms of switches may be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

A modification of the devices, Snc., intended to combine the functions of the lines l2 and 16 in one line, and to arrange the lines connecting the chief and the sub-chiefs desk in a single circuit, with simple drop devices in such circuit, is reserved as the subject of another patent.

Figs. 3 and 4 need little description. They show a convenient form of chiefs desk, 19, 20, and 22 being the elements of annunciatordrops arranged upon the desk, 18 being the buttons for the private lines 16, while 34 and 35 represent the usual transmitting devices.

If Vno batteries or motors are used for generating the signal-current, a treadle or handgenerator may be attached lto the desk, or a special signal-battery may be inclosed in it to form the generator. While lI show the main lines distributed among table-operators, it is obvious that operators stations in a massed system Wouldbe the same inv applying thisinvention.

I claim as my inventionv 1. In a telephoneexchange system in which the incoming lilies are grouped upon contiguous operating-tables, the combination, with such tables, of a chiefs desk having an independent line to each of said tables, and connections, substantially as described, whereby said chiefs desk may form a terminal station upon anyone of said independent lines or incoming line, or an intermediate station between any two of said operating-tables, anyl two of the incoming lines, or any one of said lines and tables, substantially as set forth.

`2. ,In atelephone-exchange system in which is involved one or more operators telephonecircuts, the combination, with such operators telephone-circuits, of a chiefs apparatus having a telephone and a private listening-line permanently connected with the operators telephone-circuits, whereby at said chiefs apparatus private cognizance may be had of the workings of said operators telephones, substantially as set forth.

3. In a telephone-exchange system in which the service-lines focus to branch exchanges at which the focusing-lines are grouped upon contiguous operating-tables, the combination, with said operating-tables, of a sub-table in' each branch exchange, forming the focus for lines from each tablein such branch exchange, and an auxiliary central exchange, of which said sub-tables form the outlying stations, whereby said central exchange may form the terminal of aline leading to anysub-table in the entire system, any operating-table in the entire system, or any patron in the entire system, or an intermediate station between any two points of communication in the entiresystem, substantially as set forth.

v EDWARD A. EOKERT.

Witnesses:

J. W. SEE,

C. G. CAMERON.

FOO

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